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Alex Smith and Colin Kaepernick are scheduled to meet at Levi’s Stadium next season. (AP)

With their second-place finish in the NFC West, the 49ers’ final two 2014 opponents were determined Sunday: They will host the Bears, the runners-ups in the NFC North, and visit the Saints, who finished second in the NFC South.

The 49ers’ 2014 schedule will include seven games against 2013 playoff teams, which, at this point, probably means very little. A year ago, for example, their 2013 meetings against Houston, Atlanta and Washington appeared challenging. Instead, that trio went 9-39 this season after making the playoffs in 2012.

That said, the NFC West figures to, again, be one of the league’s most rugged divisions next season. The Cardinals (10-6) finished 2013 resembling a team on the rise and the Rams (7-9) will have the No. 2 and No. 13 pick in the 2o014 draft.